At first listen, Jockstrap's debut I Love You Jennifer B, sounds like a pop playlist generated by a confused AI bot. "Everything on the album is pretty singular sounding so we hope there is a track on there for everyone and something that speaks to you and says 'I'm a banger,'" Ellery has said.
On the release of their Qobuzissime-winning album, we asked the band a few questions about the release.
I have to know, who is Jennifer B? What inspired the title of the album?
Taylor: We both had a massage in Newcastle on tour last year the masseuse was called Jennifer B. The massage was amazing and it totally inspired the album.
Both of you met at Guildhall whilst studying completely different subjects, what was it about each other's music that brought you together?
Georgia: Before I came to Guildhall, I had never even met a producer, let alone worked with one... so when I heard what Taylor was making I instantly wanted to be part of that world. I spent my teens trawling through Soundcloud and YouTube finding electronic music I liked, and I heard all of my tastes in Taylor's production.
Tracks "Jennifer B," "Debra," and "50/50" sit comfortably between the worlds of pop and electro but Jockstrap knows 10 tracks of electro-pop, no matter how many quirky effects you layer, has been done to death, so there are surprises throughout I Love You Jennifer B. "What's It All About?," "Angst," "Glasgow" and "Lancaster Court" all have tinges of soft pop, some with folk elements sprinkled with harp or guitar and others with slow ambient electronics.
Jockstrap - 'Glasgow' (Official Video)
JockstrapEach song on I Love You Jennifer B is quite unique, which is what makes the album so exciting, is there an underlying theme or vibe that ties all of the tracks together?
Taylor: The underlying theme is that it is Georgia and I making the music. So emotionally we are both inside the songs. We both live in England, we're the same age, we both like movies - I guess that ties it together
Smack-bang in the middle of the album is "Concrete Over Water," which sounds like Lana Del Rey and Kate Bush colliding with a child's video game. It's a blissful breathing point with Ellery's soaring vocals carving their way through the track before breaking down into a cacophony of orchestral sounds and electronic beats.
Say someone who has never heard Jockstrap before approaches you about your music, which track would each of you pick from the album to best sum up the Jockstrap ‘experience’?
Georgia: Maybe "Concrete Over Water"? Maybe "Angst"…
You might describe Jockstrap's debut as, well, indescribable, which is exactly their goal. A true Qobuzissime!
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